The Covid-19 pandemic is putting the world under enormous strain. How does it affect the people working in the IT product supply chain? Stephen Fuller, TCO Development’s expert on social responsibility, shares his view on the current situation.
“When we finally see the end of this pandemic, country economies will be very different. Governments are working to soften the impacts of the crisis through stimulus packages. The hope is that these measures will support workers during the crisis, but that can’t be guaranteed. Whilst they struggle with the impact Covid-19 is having on their economies, manufacturers now have an added responsibility of keeping employees safe and healthy at the workplace by also controlling the spread of Covid-19. The risk is though that due to the crowded working and migrant accommodation situation, the protection provided to workers by manufacturers will not be adequate and the longer the pandemic continues, the more likely it will be that workers will be the hardest impacted, through infection, lost income or increased risk of being replaced by machines.
“As additional stimuli to industry I’m sure some governments are being pressured into considering the easing of certain social and environmental requirements that are meant to protect us and the climate. The risk here is that although a virus has likely been the cause of the fall in pollution and carbon emissions, something collaborating governments for the past 30 years haven’t managed to do, the old fossil dependent industry will return when measures are lifted. Any of the environmental benefits we’re currently witnessing will soon be reset if we don’t allow these changes to have a more persistent effect.
“When it comes to the social impact Covid-19 is having, then it is hard to find any positive benefits. In China, social auditors tell me that production is picking up again after 3-4 months disruption. The same can’t be said for the rest of Asia, Europe or North and South America where the pandemic is still causing lockdowns. For workers in China, the return to work means increased working hours and relaxed labour rights as factories look to meet orders and make up for lost production at the lowest achievable cost.
“Looking ahead, if economies enter a recession and demand decreases, future orders will be cancelled. Due to the lack of enforcement by loca